Testimonials Mustad Autoline Coastal™ System

We chose to invest in automated longline equipment to streamline operations on board, reduce expenses and ease working days for the crew - and we are doing it again!

Robert Brun (28) from Stø in the north of Norway, is building a new coastal vessel tailored for autoline equipment and is to be ready end of this year. The new "Live Elise" with loa/10.99m, beam/5.3m and a fish hold of 32 m3 will be fishing with autoline system only. The vessel he owns and operates today, which also bears the name "Live Elise", is fishing with both autoline and gillnets.

Five questions to a skipper and owner of an autoline coastal vessel:

1.Why did you choose to invest in an autoline system and why Mustad Autoline?

1. we chose to invest in automated longline equipment to streamline operations, reduce expenses and ease working days for the crew. Mustad Autoline was a natural choice for me - it was the brand in my mind when I first started planning. I know the Mustad Autoline equipment is thoroughly tested and is well proven. I also know many boats using their systems, which makes it a lot easier to ask questions about the operations, challenges and to get advice chosing the right equipment.

2.Are you satisfied with your choice of equipment and does it cover your expectations?

2. I am very happy with the system and it delivers in my view above expectations. I also must include the people I have worked with at Mustad Autoline, both sales and service staff.

3. What impresses you most about the autoline system on board?

3. It's how easy it is to operate, good solutions for getting the job done, and it's easy to clean. What I expected to be a big challenge as the baiting machine, service and maintenance, but I could have saved myself a lot of worries, it is very easy to keep this up and running. And if a problem should occure I know the serviceman is just a phone call away.

4.You are building a new boat and choose Mustad Autoline and Coastal system on this boat as well?

4. Yes, absolutely! We use the experiences from the old vessel to make the new one even better. In addition we increase the capasity of both the fish hold and number of hooks on the system.

5. You choose autoline over other fishing equipment such as hand baiting and gillnets?

5. yes absolutely, hand baiting works very well with a small crew on board. However, - in my opinion, if you have a crew of more than two men, an autoline system is a must. I'll choose Mustad Autoline again!

Regards. Robert Brun

Mustad Autoline Coastal system with HandyMag™ storage system

The fisherman Morten Gressmyr from Vadsø in Norway chose to invest in an Autoline system despite the small space on board. The boat “Gemini”, a 35 footer previously fishing with gillnets, is now equipped with a new automated longline system. The equipment, a Coastal HandyMag system from
Mustad Autoline, was installed and tested at the end of February 2014. Gressmyr is very pleased with both the equipment and the catch.
- We have the capacity to set and haul 7,000 hooks per day. To begin with, we operate with a crew of two to three people, but as we incorporate best practices we reduce to a crew of two people on board. Coastal HandyMag storage system is designed to fit on smaller boats from approx. 30 feet / 9 - 10m. Hooks and line are stored on one meter magazines, and are manually retrieved in setting or hauling position. The system is convenient and easy to operate and requires limited space on board the boat. - In short periods we fish for crab, and the Autoline system is installed in such a way that it is easy to rig the boat and change to other fisheries such as crab fishing.

Easy to sell and better price Even in times when prices are low and there is a lot of fish on the market it is easy to sell line-caught fish and we get 20 - 30% more per kg. - We fish haddock, halibut, catfish and bream in addition to cod. With the new equipment on board, we will fish with longline throughout the year, says Gressmyr and is optimistic about his future as an Autoline fisherman.
Morten Gressmyr, Vadsø